Starlight Live V2.0 Now Available

[aparker]

Hi Alex,

Yep sounds like you have discovered some bugs in the reworked stacking algorithm! 

Not sure about the hang, but I was wondering if there is something wrong when it generates new key frames. Your max displacement is very small - can you try a larger value (say 16-32) and see if that has any effect.

The biggest help to debug issues is to have the raw FITS export enabled, and when you get a problem if i can grab the raw FITS (darks and the lights) I can then play them through the SW in the test mode under debug. Also helpful is what stacking settings you were using (mode and max displacement). Once you have the FITS, message me and we can arrange transfer. Please note, if you are using darks then I also need these so I can exactly replicate the sequence of data (basically enable raw export at the start of a session and its covered). Having the FITS files means I can find the cause of such issues really quickly - fixing them might be more tricky though 

Also helpful is the application log - start the app from the command line and add the '-enable-logging' argument. You will get a TXT file in your home directory which is a log. I plan on beefing the log with more debug output in the next version, or if I am really stuck I can augment a build and send it to you for trial. In general though, issues like this tend to be better debugged with the FITS files.

Keep me posted (likewise anyone else who runs into issues can you please do the same....)

Paul

Paul,

How do I launch form the command line on a mac?  Just typing the path and application name does not do it...

Thanks

Alex

[aparker]

I have managed to replicate the bug reported whereby stacking is going as normal and then suddenly on the next exposure you get a black image, after which upon the next exposure the image comes back again.

There is a bug in the part of the algorithm that creates a new key frame once the displacement goes past the limit set via max displacement. This was introduced as a result of multi spectrum (oops..  )

To work around this, you can use a larger max displacement to avoid new key frames being generated (I use values 16-32 pixels).

Will be fixed in V2.1!

I have also fixed the key shortcut issue.

I have run into this with the max displacement set to 99

[Paul81]

Hi Alex, to launch from the command line in OSX, open the Terminal app (and I will assume StarlightLive is installed in your applications folder....)

open -a StarlightLive.app --args <ARGUMENTS>

so for example to enable logging:

open -a StarlightLive.app --args -enable-logging

[Hibou]

Just a question - is it or would it be possible in any way to connect lodestar camera attached to remote computer to locally running StarlightLive?

How remote ? I regularly use these  Amplified USB cables which can be chained up to 20-30m. 

[MrOD]

I have been using amplified usb cable (15m) with cctv but it does not work with my lodestars even connected to powered hub. USB over IP looks good for me. I am currently testing it with Indi server for other equipment, if it won't work I will go for remote desktop.

[Hibou]

amplified usb cable (15m) ... does not work with my lodestars...

You mean you could not get your own amplified USB cable to work :-)

But it does work, since "I use it regularly". I have just checked that my amplified Delock cables work under Win-7, Win-8.1 and Win-10 with a lodestar-X2 for LodestarLive-v2 as well as  other apps. It will also work with Mac OS 10.9 and Linux Kernel 3.2 It will also work with my USB-3 computer, and as well all the Artemis cameras I have used. My customers use it. So please don't say "it doesn't work".

If you could not get it to work it may be because of one of the following:

1) You have a different brand of powered USB cable.

2) You have a very old operating system eg Win-XP or Mac OS <10.9

3) You did not first plug in the extension and wait for it to be recognised before connecting your camera (it acts like a hub).

4) Possibly your computer has low USB power, but you tried it with a powered hub.

I tried chaining 2x10m cables and that still works. The limit on the total length depends (apart from sufficient USB power) on the timing of USB "handshaking", since longer cables require longer times to acknowledge signals. But the lodestar doesn't need much power, Artemis and other cameras have their own 5V supply, and the data rate required for almost all amateur astronomy cameras is well within the capabilities of USB-2.

If 20-20m is sufficiently "remote" powered USB cables are a lot simpler (and cheaper) than any other solution.

[Hibou]

 Artemis and other cameras have their own 5V supply...

If 20-20m is sufficiently "remote" powered USB cables are a lot simpler...

Oops. Two typos. Pity there's no way to correct posts :-)

Artemis and other cameras generally use 12V supplies (not 5V).

And I meant that 20-30m over powered USB is possible.

[MrOD]

Mine is also delock. I have tried with 2PCs and one tablet, win2k12r2 and win10. Must be some issue with the cable i guess.

[Hibou]

Mine is also delock. I have tried with 2PCs and one tablet, win2k12r2 and win10. Must be some issue with the cable i guess.

Hmm... It certainly won't work with Windows-2000, but I have it working fine with Win-10 (also Win-7 and Win-8.1). 

I don't know about tablets. But I would try again with Win-10 if I were you.

Plug in the cable and wait for Win-10 to find the hub driver, then plug in the camera and wait again to load the camera driver.

Try a different USB socket. My NUC with Win-8.1 sometimes disconnects a USB socket - not sure if it's Intel or MS to blame.

[MrOD]

Don't worry about me Hibou i will manage it. I went currently for indi-server (with raspberry pi) way and i have to say it's fantastic! Everything works great on wifi andnetwork cable.

Paul - Please consider it as backend for Lodestar Live

[stash_old]

My 5p worth

1. If you are under 30m , dont mind cables I would advise cables every time - they are cheaper (unless you have spare kit already) and under UK law at least if they dont work send them back and get a refund.

2.Virtualhere is very good but is still buggy. Michael the support is excellent and cures most bugs but won't you rather be doing astro stuff than computing?

    I have tried various combinations - e.g. Ubunto server on very old usb 1.1 port and Win 10 tablet as client with canon dslr/BYE connection worked great. Replaced Win 10 with 7 or Visa machines and the client software failed to load drivers but others have got windows 7 and visa working without any problems just different onboard usb ports.

3. Not all USB ports are the same - Raspberry PI for example shares the ethernet network interface - it comes down to design and cost - hence Hibou experience of plugging into a different port using the same cables etc worked.

4. Once you put a Hub in the equation (powered or not) you are "sharing" the resource so things will be slower.

5. You only go as fast as the slowest component so using a USB 2 hub in a USB 3 port does not get usb speeds - and visa versa.

6. Unless you pay a great deal USB 3 if not available to run over CAT5/6 and the ones I have found only run at USB 1.1 speeds even when connected to Usb 2 - if they had worked at USB 2 then I could , in theory go to 50m Plus.

Plus this should be its own thread not part of Pauls  LL 2.0 software - IMHO